OTL06-24, trip log, Around Spitsbergen, In the realm of Polar Bear & Ice

Finally! The day had come, it was time for us to board our new home for on our upcoming expedition, m/v Ortelius! We arrived at the port in Longyearbyen to see calm, glassy waters. Some of us only had landed a few hours before, and now we were about to start our adventure onboard M/V Ortelius. The expedition team and hotel staff had helpfully brought our luggage aboard and taken it to our cabins earlier in the day. All that remained was for us to take a few photos of Ortelius while we made our way up the gangway.

We were warmly welcomed by all the crew and staff who assisted us in finding our cabins. With some time left, we explored the ship to get our bearings, and were able to grab a tea or coffee in the bar.

Once everyone was on board, it was time for the mandatory ship safety video and briefing presented by Expedition Leader Claudio and Chief Officer Romanas. We were given all the information we needed such as how to move safely around the ship, being made aware of things we could and could not do, and how to put on our emergency life jackets. Having learned this, it was then time for an abandon ship drill. So after hearing the seven short and one long blast of the ship’s horn we went to our cabins, retrieved our lifejackets, and went to our muster station in the bar. Then we were led to our lifeboats so we would know where to go in case of a real emergency.

After the drill, we headed to the bar, where Hotel Manager Vova and Expedition Leader Claudio welcomed us. With briefing formalities concluded, it was time to join Captain Per in the bar to raise a glass in celebration of the voyage. Then it was time for our first evening meal, with a delicious buffet selection provided by Chef Heinz and his galley team served by our friendly dining room staff. After dinner we were given our muck boots which we would use for going ashore; comfortable but also, very importantly, waterproof for our wet zodiac landings!

After a long day of travel for most of us it was time for bed to get some rest before the first full day of our trip tomorrow.

Good morning, Ortelius!

Today we started off first with our last mandatory briefings: the Zodiac briefing and the polar bear safety briefing. As we will use the Zodiacs daily, it is very important to get familiar with them. And even more importantly, safety around polar bears! Meanwhile, the Captain moored Ortelius in front of Lilliehöökbreen, a beautiful broad glacier front. We took the chance to test out our muck boots. We will use these every day, so it’s important that they fit well.

After checking our muck boots, we went outside to view the beautiful blue icy glacier front. Lilliehöökbreen was named after Gustaf Bertil Lilliehöök, a Swedish commander. During the morning, Claudio explained to us that if we wanted to be in time for Ny-Ålesund, a short transit was to be made. So we left in time, ate lunch for the first time onboard, and then we arrived at Ny-Alesund at 14:00 approximately.

Ny-Ålesund is a permanent research town, with an all-year permanent population of approximately 30 to 35 people from 11 countries and several research institutes. In summer, this amount can be up to 180 people! The team shuttled us to the jetty where we got off and were able to roam freely around the town. We saw many researchers during the day, some of them fishing, while some returned from hikes and collecting field samples.

At Ny-Ålesund, we had the opportunity to visit the shop, the museum, and to take a small hike to the mast. The mast is located about 300 meters southeast of Longyearbyen, right in polar bear territory. The airship mast was built in 1926 during Roald Amundsen’s North Pole expedition with the airship Norge. Originally, it was part of a hangar, and now it remains as one of the most important historical remains in Spitsbergen, an artifact of the many attempts and eventual success of reaching the geographic North Pole. In town, there is also a statue of this legendary polar explorer; the man who reached both the North Pole and the South Pole, and the first to navigate the Northwest passage: Roald Amundsen. Unfortunately, his ultimate fate is unknown – he disappeared on a rescue mission the airship Italia.

Our first day almost came to an end! Around 17:30, everybody went back to the ship. At 18:45, we had our recap from our first expedition day, our expedition leader Claudio briefed us about the plans for tomorrow and that the weather was still unknown (due to the limitations of signal, because we were still close to Ny- Ålesund). Bee followed up with a small recap on how and why ships have different movements; this was particularly relevant as we had experienced significant movement (and some even seasickness) during the night and the evening before. Elisabeth concluded with a summary of all the different nationalities that were currently present at Ny- Ålesund, and the types of research that is currently being done. This was particularly interesting as most of those nationalities are with us onboard!

At the end of our first expedition day, we went to dinner, and after, tired and content, to bed, ready for an early start tomorrow.

Good morning m/v Ortelius and welcome to Texas Bar! Yes, we were indeed at our next location and yes, Texas Bar is full of tasty liquors. However, drinking on an empty stomach is almost never a good idea so it was time to have breakfast first.

After breakfast, we went ashore to explore this beautiful area. It was a sunny calm day and our timing couldn’t have been better. It was high summer and a wide variety of flowers and lichen were in full bloom. Purple saxifrage, moss campion, Svalbard poppy and polar willow, among others, dotted the grey rocks beautifully with splashes of color, and it was fascinating to see how such a variety of vegetation manages to survive and bloom in such a harsh climate and short summer season.

Today, it was time to stretch our legs a little. Some decided to join Misha for a long and intense hike, whereas others joined the more leisurely medium and short hikes. These shorter hikes offer more opportunity for photography, perfect for Texas Bar and its surroundings, which are really picturesque.

Texas Bar itself never had anything to do with either Texas or a bar. It was named randomly by a Norwegian trapper who clearly had a good sense of humor. The bar is still in use, and if you’re a Svalbard resident you can book the bar and spend some nights there. In the winter it is also possible to travel by snow mobile from Longyearbyen to Texas Bar.

Although it really isn’t a bar, visitors recently started leaving liquor behind for the next guests. So today the bar has a proper stock of liquor that a real bar would have too. Unfortunately for us, it was not allowed to have a nice drink. Perhaps it was also still a little early.

After our hikes, we shuttled per Zodiac back to the ship for a well-deserved lunch. In the afternoon a Zodiac cruise was planned. We would cruise in front of the famous Monacobreen glacier, named for the Prince of Monaco who gave it its name approximately 100 years ago when he visited the place on a gentleman’s expedition. The glacier has a width of approximately 5km and as it is a fast-moving glacier, it often offers spectacular calving. Today we hit the jackpot. We witnesses one spectacular calving after another, and then some more! It was a fantastic afternoon and we couldn’t be happier.

Tired, but awed, we returned to our beautiful ship for a recap and another delicious dinner!

Good night everyone!

Good morning, Ortelius.

We have a special day ahead of us. After a wake-up call from our expedition leader Claudio, the day continued with a delicious breakfast, after which we ventured onto the outer decks and up to the bridge to enjoy the beauty of the Arctic, as well as to admire the wildlife living in this diverse polar region.

As always, the first to greet us in the morning were birds: northern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake, Brunnich’s guillemot, black guillemot, and Arctic skua. Today our first destination was to land at Oxfordhalvoya.

Our plan was to perform a split landing and a Zodiac cruise. At the landing, we split into groups. Some of us went on a long hike, some on a medium hike, and some on a Zodiac cruise. On land, we saw a lot of Arctic flowers, plentiful in this region of the Arctic, spotted a reindeer and watched an Arctic fox. It was very beautiful.

After the first landing, we went back to the ship for lunch to recharge our batteries and rest a little.

On the second landing, an even more incredible landscape of the polar desert called Palanderbukta was waiting for us. Just like in the morning, we were offered the opportunity to go on a long hike, medium, or short. On land, we saw nesting Arctic Skua, many Arctic flowers, and plants such as Svalbard poppy, moss campion, polar willow, Arctic mouse-ear, northern campion, purple saxifrage, polar saxifrage and many others, also visible were phenomenal permafrost patterns, as well as many fossils. We heard a story from our expedition guides about the history, geology, and biology of this remote Arctic region. It was, overall, an incredible experience.

At 18.30, our Expedition Leader, Claudio, announced that after dinner, an incredible surprise awaited us - a Zodiac cruise along the famous bird cliff, Alkefjellet.

So, after dinner, we loaded into the Zodiacs and motored towards Alkefjellet. It was incredible! We saw over 60,000 breeding pairs of Brunnich guillemots, black-legged kittiwake, glaucous gulls, and we spotted beautiful Arctic foxes again. What an amazing end to a great day.

Good night, Ortelius. Tomorrow we will have another day full of new discoveries.

This morning, we awoke once more to Claudio’s incredibly soothing voice, telling us of the day’s weather and informing us of the coming plans.

After a sumptuous breakfast, the plan was to do a split landing and Zodiac cruise at Torellneset, a well-known walrus haul-out site. Immediately, the walruses could be spotted from the ship, and we disembarked the passengers. Half of them went ashore, and in a carefully controlled line, were able to admire the very active walrus herds, fighting over the best sleeping spot, some deciding that the most comfortable place for a cheeky rest would simply be on top of other walrus, a decision which led to some animosity.

The walrus on the beach were all male, while along the shoreside, you could see female groups with calves swimming by, looking with curiosity and slight distrust at the guests with their cameras and brightly colored jackets. After some time, the groups switched. On the Zodiacs, you followed the shoreline to gaze at the swimming walrus, to find some geese and to simply enjoy the silky-smooth water.

The second group found a fox following the shoreline, stopping every now and then to pick up some kelp to feast on, sniffing for anything interesting, then continuing on its way. This went on for quite some time, until our time was up and we had to return to the ship, content to have seen the best kind of walrus behavior, and having taken thousands of pictures of the king of the Arctic.

Having destroyed the buffet at lunchtime, weighing several kilograms more than previously, we cancelled the afternoon landing at Wahlbergoya, instead opting to spend the rest of the day following the glacial front of Brasvellbreen, the third biggest ice cap in the world, second only to Greenland in the northern hemisphere. About 160 nautical miles long, this huge ice mass stretches out far into the horizon. Waterfalls formed all along the glacier, with huge water masses simply flowing out of holes in the ice. Incredible hues of blue, with ice everywhere in the water due to the frequent calvings, walruses lying on some of them, the weather and sights simply invited people to stay on deck, enjoy, have a cup of tea and try to take in the enormity of what they saw.

Pictures scarcely rend it justice, and for a bit of a change, Charlotte held her lecture on walruses, giving good insight into why the walrus is the most impressive animal of these icy waters.

In the evening, after a recap, the crew prepared a barbecue outside, with dancing that followed. In this totally surreal landscape, surrounded by ice, water and emptiness, the moment felt like an unrealistic novel, too kitschy, too daydreamy, and yet still real. Another very special day in this unrealistically beautiful place.

We awoke to a beautiful Arctic morning aboard the m/v Ortelius, greeted by the breathtaking landscapes of Svalbard. Our day began with an amazing breakfast, filled with delicious food and the excitement of the adventures ahead.

After breakfast, the expedition team went scouting on land at Storoya, hoping to spot a polar bear. Fortune was on our side today. We discovered a magnificent male polar bear sleeping peacefully on the snow. The sight was beautiful.

We quickly lowered all the Zodiacs and set out to observe this majestic creature. From our Zodiacs, we watched as the polar bear eventually woke up, walked along the beach, and curiously observed us from the shore. It was a lovely morning, highlighted by this incredible encounter with our first polar bear.

Returning to the ship, we enjoyed a great lunch onboard. The meal was filled with enthusiastic discussions about the morning's polar bear sighting, making for a delightful atmosphere among fellow passengers and crew.

Post-lunch, we set course for the stunning island of Kvitoya, located in the northeast of Svalbard. As we arrived, two Zodiacs were sent scouting as per routine. Once again, luck was with us, and we spotted another polar bear, although this one was farther inland.

We lowered the Zodiacs and embarked on a cruise to get a better view of the bear. While the polar bear was quite distant, the experience provided a different but equally thrilling perspective compared to our morning encounter.

The day held more surprises as we stumbled upon a walrus haul out on a small rocky island. Observing the walruses and their calves from a safe distance was an amazing sight, adding to the day's wildlife encounters. The massive icecap of Kvitoya provided a stunning backdrop to our afternoon adventures.

Returning to the ship, we enjoyed a delicious dinner while reflecting on the day's incredible sightings and experiences. The evening continued with a briefing on the plans for the next day and an insightful presentation by Misha about Salomon Andrée's failed attempt to reach the North Pole by hot air balloon. The story captivated us all, ending the day on a note of wonder and historical intrigue.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, we retired to our cabins, eager for the next day's adventures in the Arctic wilderness.

Today started in the Southernmost position we had been on during the trip so far. We awoke to find strong winds this morning in Freemansundet, meaning we instead going to head in the direction of Kapp Lee, located on the Headland of Edgeoya. This is the third largest island in the Svalbard archipelago and our landing site is located near Dolerittneset, on the Northwestern point.

Kapp Lee is a known walrus haul out location with an unfortunate historical background as a walrus hunting station. The history leads back to the 18th century, with Kapp Lee functioning as a Russian Pomor hunting station. The huts are still standing today and it is interesting to see a slice of history, and to be able to envisage what life would have been like to spend months on this desolate shoreline. After the Russian hunters vacated the location, Norwegian hunters and trappers moved in. They built the octagonal shaped cabin in 1904, which is still standing today. The other cabins erected were used for oil exploration in the 1960s. As we approached the landing site, the expedition team put in extra effort scouting as this area is well known for polar bears. Alas! On the beach the team found polar bear paw prints. The team scouted the area more and deemed safe to do a perimeter landing. Guests were brought ashore for a lovely leg stretch to see the historical huts, the walrus haul outs, and the stunning views over Storfjorden. After a good time ashore, guests were returned to m/v Ortelius in time for another delicious lunch.

This site is of even more importance as a Dutch scientist, Ko de Korte, resided in this location in 1968 studying skua populations. Korte would go on to take passengers to Svalbard through the “Plancius Foundation” in the early 1980s and work a ship captain named Albert Veldkamp, who later became his business partner. These two men also met a Dutch businessman by the name of Wijnand van Gessel, who owned a sailboat called Rembrandt van Rijn, and a tour company called Oceanwide Expeditions. They joined forces and created what is today, Oceanwide Expeditions!  Earlier in the trip, while we were ashore in Texas Bar, our sailboat Rembrandt van Rijn, sailed by and excited waves were exchanged between the two crews.

In the afternoon we transited across Storfjorden to Mohnbukta for a glacier Zodiac cruise. The peaks of Teistberget, Panofskyfjettet, and Kroghfjellet towered over us as we explored the shoreline and the glacial fronts. Heuglinbreen, Hayesbreen, and Konigsbergbreen were absolutely stunning with the midnight sun glistening off their various shades of blue color. To the guests’ surprise, a Zodiac approached them during their cruise with a fun surprise; hot chocolate! Our lovely crew prepared hot chocolate, rum, and whipping cream to serve the guests midway through their Arctic Zodiac cruise. Delicious! Back onboard for our evening recap with plans for tomorrow and Expedition guide Elizabeth presenting on walrus research in Svalbard. Now time to rest up for another action-packed day tomorrow!

Yet again, we were woken up by Claudio’s soft, soothing voice, ready to start a new adventure. We had intended to spend the morning in Samarinbreen and the afternoon admiring the loud, shrieking kittiwakes at Gnalodden, but our Expedition Leader and our Captain, always alert, decided to swap the activities around in order to outplay the fog that followed us like a shadow.

However, the fog is clever, and just after the last passengers had landed at Gnalodden, the fog rolled in. We had just about enough time to admire the tall, pointy mountain with its shrieking kittiwakes (indeed the name Gnalodden translates into something like “the shrieking peak”), admire the old trappers’ hut and roam around a bit before our armed guides herded us together towards the landing side. One never knows when polar bears might be looming around in the fog.

In the afternoon we did a split landing in the Samarinbreen glacier area. Half the passengers started with a Zodiac cruise around the glacier deep in the fjord, while the other half hiked up to the top of the stony hill and enjoyed a 360° view of the sunny fjord. Of course, afterwards we swapped, so everyone got to enjoy both activities.

We were greeted by a very pleasant surprise: the fjord turned out to be full of beluga whales. We even saw some calves swimming with their mothers.

As usual, we learned interesting polar facts from our guides at the daily recap following the day’s activities and went to sleep excited for our final day of adventure tomorrow.

Today was a fantastic day on the water with the sun glistening on the ripples of the ocean. We all felt exhausted, but our bones pushed us forward to breakfast to prepare for another day. We filled up with eggs and sausages and then once again layered up ready for a landing at Alkehornet. This is a spectacular rock formation, rising high above the surrounding land, and playing host to a huge kittiwake and Brunnich’s guillemot colony. There were many reindeer foraging on the slopes and on the flat ground. They seemed very inquisitive, so they came to us to take a closer look.

Lunch came round soon enough and afterwards we embarked the Zodiacs to visit Ymerbukta to view the glacier that touched the shores. It was only a short walk to get to the glacier, but one with an incredible ending where we could touch and walk on the glacier. It was warm and sunny and for two more hours we enjoyed every moment as our guides watched over us to ensure no polar bears made a surprise appearance.

We came back aboard, showered and got ready for the Captain’s farewell cocktail. We thanked the expedition staff for the fantastic job they had done the last nine days, guiding us through the Arctic to see the landscapes and wildlife. Koen had created a slideshow to show us all the memorable moments, bringing tears to our eye, we will remember this forever. Dinner was the best so far and also where we thanked all the hotel and laundry staff for all their hard work. We hope to see you again aboard! 😊

After nine superb days, our Svalbard expedition was over, but the memories we had made will live with us forever. With our luggage left outside our cabins ready for the staff and crew to take down the gangway, we headed to breakfast. After saying goodbye to the dining room crew, we took our remaining belongings and disembarked onto the coal pier. There was just enough time to say farewell to the expedition team before we boarded the buses and left for our onward travel. Thank you all for such a memorable voyage, for your company, good humour, enthusiasm, and patience when the weather decided we should do something different. We hope to see you again in the future, wherever that might be!

Total distance sailed on our voyage: 1251 nautical miles.

On behalf of Oceanwide Expeditions, Captain Per Andersson, Expedition Leader Claudio Ghiglione, Hotel Manager Volodymyr ‘Vova’ Cherednychenko and all the crew and expedition staff, it has been a pleasure travelling with you! We look forward to seeing you again on one of our ships for another adventure.